Codezero's Journals

Top 10 BFG's - What's Your Favorite?

ScrewAttack has an article up about the Top 10 BFG's (Big F'n Gun) in Video Games. So I figured I'd ask...

Which one was your favorite? Personally, my favorite is the granddaddy of 'em all the BFG 9000 from Doom.

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First, let's start this list off right. No, a rocket launcher is NOT a BFG. It fires an explosive shelled grenade, not a bullet, so every rocket launcher from every game is immediately disqualified. Now that we're done with that, let's get this party started.

10. Chain Gun - Resident Evil Series

In the world of Resident Evil, there's only one weapon you want at your side when facing the undead hordes. The rocket launcher is nice, but it's rate of fire is abysmally slow when you're being mobbed by zombies. That's when you want to reach for BFG #10 on the list, the Chain Gun. Featured predominatedly in Resident Evil 2, but also available in Resident Evil 3, the Chain Gun was the weapon of choice to kill everything in your path with extreme prejudice. Nothing could stand in your way as you blasted away with it, not even William Birkin's multiple forms. There was something deeply cathartic about hearing that gun wind up, and then seeing your targets drop like flies.

9. Rail Gun - Quake II

After Quake II was released, the all-powerful Rocket Launcher fell from its position as the most coveted weapon in the game during multiplayer sessions. The new weapon that everyone was killing to hold in their metaphorical hands was BFG #9 on the list, the Rail Gun. While it's rate of fire was slower than any other gun in the game, its lethality is unquestioned. No matter how far away, no matter how much armor you were wearing, if this baby hit you, the result was always the same; you got to meet the Grim Reaper face to face. If you were lucky enough, you wouldn't respawn in the same area and get taken out again and again by the same bastard.

8. Barrett M82A1 .50 Cal Sniper Rifle - Rainbow Six 3

Rainbow Six 3 was one of the first FPS games to really stand out on the new Xbox console. It's many online co-op and head-to-head modes made it an instant classic. However, there was one gun that stood out amongst all the others. It's BFG #8 on the list, the Barrett M82A1 Sniper Rifle. It looked like you were carrying the anti-tank turret off of a Humvee, but the damage it did was extreme. One shot to either the head or the body area was an instant death for any terrorists unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of it's 10x zoom scope. Then, someone discovered a glitch. The Barrett was originally only supposed to be available in the co-op mode Terrorist Hunt. But, if you left the Barrett equipped when you switched from Terrorist Hunt to another of the online co-op or head-to-head modes, it would cause the game to allow the Barrett to be selectable by anyone in the match. This added a whole new dimension of pain, especially in any of the maps with good sniper's nests.

7. Iron Man's Ion Cannon - Capcom's Marvel Series

When Capcom got the license to make an arcade style fighting game in the mold of their Street Fighter franchise with Marvel's character properties, many long time Marvel fans and geeks were estatic. I was among them, and I was happy to see characters such as Captain America, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Psylocke, and Iron Man. All of the characters had Capcom's over the top Super Combo style attacks, but none was more impressive or jaw-dropping than BFG #7 on the list, Iron Man's Ion Cannon. The screen would flash, and Iron Man would yell out "Here's my Sunday Best!". A huge cannon would then materialize right above his shoulder, and then pump out a massive blast of energy. While it's damage radius wasn't as large as Cyclops' Super Energy Blast, it lasted longer, and in the earlier games caused more damage as well. For most players, Iron Man became the go-to character, since there was nothing more satisfying than spamming out that Super Combo.

6. Farsight XR-20 - Perfect Dark

In the history of FPS games, there's always been one Holy Grail everyone has wanted; a gun that can fire through anything and be instantly fatal to their opponents. Many games have had cheats put in by the developers, or hacked in by people after the fact that would allow them to do it. One of the most notorious was Counter-Strike, and it's auto-head shot cheat, that would instantly aim a weapon at any and/or every characters' head in range, and then put one right between the headlights. It was also the main reason why Counter-Strike quickly fell out of favor with all but the most hardcore of PC FPS gamers. Years later, Rare, the company behind the huge success that was GoldenEye007, wanted to make another game in the Bond series, using a refined version of the engine that ran its predecessor. But, Rare's license agreement with the company that owns the Bond property had expired. So, they made a new game with their refined engine, but with an all new story. This also gave them the freedom to use whatever storyline they wanted. One of the results of that unique storyline was BFG #6 on the list, the Farsight XR-20. While it had a rather slow reload rate, it was its secondary ability that made it one of the most coveted weapons in all of FPS games. The Farsight XR-20 could switch to a mode where you could see and fire through walls, obstacles, or anything else in your path, and take out an enemy or opponent from half a map away, and they would have no idea what happened, until after they respawned. Whether you loved or hated this gun was often heavily influenced by which end of the barrel you were on.

5. Gravity Gun - Half-Life 2

Valve just used to be the name of an item used mainly in plumbing and pnuematic devices. Now, it's also synonymous with one of the most inventive and creative video game studios in the world. Valve Software Studios released one of the most innovative FPS games since GoldenEye007. One of their most important creations was a physics engine unlike any other, the Havok engine. Using this engine, Valve created one of the most ingenious weapons ever realized, BFG #5 on the list, the Gravity Gun. Unlike most of the other guns on the list, the Gravity Gun isn't here because of its size or blast radius. It's here, because this gun has by definition, an almost limitless supply of ammunition, and near unlimited potential for destruction, to boot. Thank you, Dr. Freeman, for making science cool again.

4. Hyper Beam - Super Metroid

Super Metroid is considered by most to be the best 2D game to come out of the Super NES/Sega Genesis era. Some consider it to be the best 2D game ever made, period. One of the core factors that has always made the Metroid Series what it is are the inventive weapons, such as the beam cannon, missiles, power bombs, super missiles, and so on. But none is as memorable as BFG #4 on the list, the Hyper Beam. After the last metroid gave its life to try and save Samus, it passed on its power to absorb and expend massive amounts of energy. Samus used this to her advantage, and then proceeded to blast the Mother Brain a new one. While the first part of their fight was a pitched battle of size and strength vs. speed, agility, and intelligence, the final part was totally one-sided, as Samus used the Hyper Beam to rip apart the Mother Brain, piece by piece. While the Hyper Beam did make another cameo in Metroid Prime, its power and use were completely tied to the appearence of the raw, liquid phazon the Metroid Prime left behind, severely limiting its effectiveness.

3. RC-P90 - GoldenEye007

When Nintendo released the Nintendo 64, their goal was to narrow its library, but to do it in a way that would force the cream of the crop to rise to the surface. Overall, the effectiveness of this method can be questioned. But, this method was also responsible for one of the best and most defining FPS games of all time, GoldenEye007. While the creativity of the missions helped the game immensely, it was the weapons that put it over the top for most gamers. Rare did an awesome job on this part, and so, even a dozen years later, people still talk about BFG #3 on the list, the RC-P90. The RC-P90 was a special kind of machine gun with caseless rounds, which allowed it to fire at a blindingly high rate of speed. Rare also addressed this issue by giving the RC-P90 an 80 round magazine, and an 800 round ammo bin. Opponents would run in fear whenever they saw you sporting the RC-P90, and nothing compared to the fear induced by someone double-wielding a pair of those babies. The amount of damage done by this gun could kill in one burst if you weren't wearing body armor, and if you were, it would usually deplete the armor to nothing. Also, headshots from this gun were lethal at almost any range. An Honorable Mention needs to go out to the Golden Gun and the Golden PP7, as well. People might laugh and call you a bitch the first time they saw you holding one of these. But after only one shot, they'd by your bitch.

2. Spread Gun - Contra Series

In the late 80's, Konami released a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that has since become synonymous with brutally hard. That game was named simply Contra. You were thrown into a battle against waves of alien troopers and hordes, and all you had to defend yourself with was a measly single-shot rifle. Smart players quickly learned to memorize the position and availability of every single appearence of the weapons upgrades. But, no other weapon upgrade was more coveted than BFG #2 on the list, the Spread Gun. To paraphrase Stuttering Craig, the Spread Gun was BFG before BFG was even a concept. With it, you had a much better chance of surviving, which doesn't mean much, with bosses the entire size of the screen that will have you screaming Uncle faster than Jerry Louis under a Sumo Wrestler. While many weapons have come and gone in the Contra universe, the venerable Spread Gun has been there through it all.

1. BFG 9000 - Doom Series

It's the gun that all other guns want to be. It has style, beauty, and enough firepower to level several city blocks. It's BFG #1 on the list, the BFG 9000. When Doom was released on the PC, it startled everyone with its bloody, gory, and sometimes even horrific settings. When pistols and shotguns weren't enough, you had to pull out some nastier firepower. While nothing was as personal as the chainsaw, it was the BFG 9000 everyone wanted. It could take out every enemy on the screen with a single blast, and even bosses would cringe and ask for mercy upon seeing it. You know when a military veteran is impressed enough with the weapon that you need to pay attention to it. Honestly, there are lots of people who would love to have a replica of this gun sitting on their mantle. If it's good enough for The Rock, it's good enough for me. This makes it a sold choice for the number one Big F'ing Gun of all time.

I'll be taking suggestions for my next few lists, so toss me some ideas, please.

World of Warcraft: The 'crack cocaine' of gaming?

I was reading up on Digg today, that's already odd since I rarely do 'Digg', but I came across this article from CNET/Technically Incorrect saying:

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We all have addictions, small or large. They toy with us. They ruffle our hair, whisper in our ear, slip their hands down our shirts, and tickle us just the way we like it.

Among gamers, a key addiction, according to Sweden's Youth Care Foundation, is playing World of Warcraft.

"There is not a single case of game addiction that we have worked with in which World of Warcraft has not played a part," the foundation's Sven Rollenhagen told the Metro newspaper.

Could that be because World of Warcraft may enjoy the majority of the market that some might describe as "People All Over The World Playing This Thing Without Washing, Eating, Cleaning Their Teeth, Or Attending To Their Underarms"?

Doesn't he look to you as if he's on something?

(Credit: CC ChanChan 222)

However, just in case the message hadn't quite sunk in, Mr. Rollenhagen declared, "It is the crack cocaine of the computer game world." This was shortly after suggesting that WoW is "the most dangerous game on the market."

I am sure that the foundation, whose Web site carries a curious Pac-Man image and the phrase "Game Over-Stockholm," does valuable work. But given that Mr. Rollenhagen's organization works with all kinds of addictions, which is the most serious?

The foundation says that in 2007, it received 2,000 calls to its addiction helpline, 170 of which concerned computer games. Presumably, all 170 calls involved World of Warcraft. Would it be fair to ask how many of the 2,000 involved crack?

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What are your thoughts though? Can't an addiction to World of Warcraft be a good thing? It's keeping kids off the street, it's teaching them how to barter, trade, and sell through the game's auction-house system. It teaches teamwork and attention-training. Everything that kids and adults get from team sports or a night out with friends can be achieved from the comfort and safety of their computer room.

Photography Inspirations - What's Yours?

Are you a pure point & shooter? Do you have a certain type of music or artist that inspires your photography? Is there perhaps a certain place in your neighborhood, town, city, or state that you go to and get inspired by the environment?

I know a lot of people fall into the point and shoot category, and I'm about 50% that way... the other 50% usually comes from the fact that I'm obsessed [it's more of a healthy fascination] with horror movies and the macabre. I find myself being drawn to shoot more in black and white or using darker environments as my focus most of the time.

What about you though... Buzznet Photogs and O.G.'s -- Whether you're a pro or an amateur I'm curious as to what inspires your photography.

Just forward your response as a bulletin so you can share your inspirations with myself and others.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Preview Part 3

PART 3 of 3

US: March 9, 2008
Europe: TBA 2008
Japan: Out Now

In the final part of this preview, we'll be covering the remaining game modes, and a few surprises such as the Masterpieces section and the Stage Builder. Without any further ado, let's jump into the remaining content:

Events Mode

Raise your hand if you spent countless hours trying to beat every event challenge in Melee... Oh wait, I can't see your hands, but I'm sure just about everyone that is reading this made the attempt. Well they're back and this time around Nintendo has actually been kind enough to provide a difficulty slider. So whether you're a complete newbie or an absolute badass at Smash Brothers there's a difficulty mode for you. This also adds a lot of replayability for new players to the series. There's no word yet on whether or not characters will be unlockable as they were before in Melee.

The Event Challenge Slider - Choose Your Battle

The Difficulty Slider Is A Very Nice Addition

Mario Has To Stop Both King Bowser and King Dedede!

Blast Kirby off before the platform lands on the Halberd!

Destroy All The Terrain In Skyworld, Just Watch Out For Wario!

You Have To Egg Lay Both Enemies Simultaneously!

A Stamina Based Match Between Link and Shadow Link!

Classic Mode

This is your classic Single Player mode. You battle through different stages and you beat the CPU controlled opponents till the end of the of the game. Sounds simple right? Of course it's not going to be that easy. While each Level or Stage has a theme like Pokemon or The Legend of Zelda you'll randomly be challenged in different ways. One battle might feature Metal enemies, another might be a Giant Bowser, or even a team of Pokemon!

The Stage Opening Screen

Mario Vs Link - An Example Battle Screen

The Clear Screen - Those Coins Will Come In Handy Too

Masterpieces

Who doesn't love a little nostalgia? In an effort to tie together Nintendo's characters contained within SSB:Brawl and their respective games on the Virtual Machine, they have a section built-in called Masterpieces. This is basically a timed-trial mode for classic masterpieces such as Super Mario Brothers, Super Metroid, Star Fox 64, Kirby's Adventures, Ice Climbers, Kid Icarus, Legend of Zelda, and more.

Super Mario Brothers

Ice Climbers

The Legend of Zelda

Kid Icarus

Super Metroid

Stage Builder

Ever since the days of Excitebike I've been fascinated with being able to design my own levels. There is such an insane level of replayability that gets added to a game with this type of functionality added in. Just like the new Forge for Halo 3 and all of the Level Editors for PC games like Quake and Unreal Tournament, you'll be able to design and play in your own custom stages with SSB: Brawl.

It May Seem To Good To Be True But It Is!

Pick Your Basic Elements First...

Then The Real Fun Begins

You Can Place Elements and Terrain Wherever You'd Like

Then When You're Finished, Try It Out!

Modifications are needed? No Problem!

You Can Then Save, Name, and Comment Your Creation

Details Are Scarce Right now, But You Can Submit Your Maps To Nintendo Too
How The Distribution Will Work, Is Anyone's Guess Right Now

Let The Custom Brawling Commence!

That's it for this preview and while I couldn't possibly cover every single piece of content contained in Super Smash Brothers Brawl without the actual U.S. release in my hands (just yet), I've made sure to cover all of the super important areas. This game is definitely going to be worth the wait for all of you die-hard SSB fans out there and even newcomers to the series are going to be delighted with all of the mayhem that is bound to ensue.

The real question though is how hard it's going to be now to wait until March 9th, since you've had a tantalizing taste of what's to come with this new release in the series.

If you're telling yourself that the wait won't be all that hard, then watch the following video (which features the complete Opening Segment) and you'll likely change your mind. Just click the link below:

BuzzPlay Group: Super Smash Brothers Opening Segment

Thanks for reading and as always we encourage you to post pictures, reviews, previews, and any other content as well. If you have any trouble posting content, please let me know.

Until Next Time, Players!

::Presses Pause::

Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Preview Part 2

PART 2 of 3

US: March 9, 2008
Europe: TBA 2008
Japan: Out Now

Picking up right where we left off, I'm going to continue my coverage of the types of game modes that are available.

Brawl

The main mode of gameplay that most people will find themselves playing for years to come is the Brawl mode. This is the standard VS fighting mode that gamers have come to know and love from previous series. Of course the graphical interface is quite a bit "prettier" now.

The Brawl Character Selection Screen

Name Selection/Creation Screen

All CPU Brawlers Have a Grey Background

The New CPU Difficulty Slider... Price Is Right Style!

Lots Of New and Updated Item Additions This Time Around!

Team Mode Is Back and Even Cooler Looking Than Before!
Just Click The Flag In-Game To Change Teams

This Is The New Stage Selection Screen

Outside of the screens shown above there's not too much "extra" to the actual Brawl mode itself to talk about. There's a ton of additions to cover though, so let's continue!

Trophies

For the types of gamers out there that have become afflicted with the "Gotta Catch 'Em All" mentality, Nintendo has made sure to include a wildly updated version of their Trophy system into Brawl. Personally, I spent countless hours collecting coins in hopes of unlocking a new trophy in SSB:Melee so I'm pretty excited about this.

Look Familiar? This Is The Standard Trophy Viewing Screen

You Can Even Change The Lighting Mode Now!

The List Option Makes It Much Easier For Sorting Them

You Can Change The Background At Anytime! This Is A Sidewalk BG

Unlike Before, You Can Now Move Your Trophies Around

You Can Even Setup A Little Diorama Scene And Show It Off

Stadium: Target Smash

For the hardcore SSB:Melee players that enjoyed Target Smash before, you'll get to face an all new round of challenges in Brawl. For starters, the maps are designed to have an outdoor feel to offer a refreshing view, and there are five different layouts of evolving difficulty to conquer. One of the two most important changes however are the additions of being able to record your run (and share it with your Wii Friends) and also being able to use items to assist you on your run. So gather up your speed-run addicted friends, I have a feeling you'll be making the best of the recording ability as you all strive for the best times to show off.

The new layouts and backgrounds are much more visually appeasing.

Here's a shot of the Item box I mentioned above

When you pause, you can see the entire map. Very Cool!

Surprise! The Recording Option Isn't Just Limited To Target Smash!

Save or Send Your Recorded Videos (About 3 Mins Each) To Anyone!

Stadium: Home Run Contest

The Home Run Contest in SSB:Melee was unenjoyable for me because I could never seem to damage the Sandbag fast enough without knocking it off the platform. However, this little minor annoyance has been fixed in Brawl and they even managed to add in a little two player action (both offline AND online).

Step 1: Mario Meets The Sandbag

Step 2: Mario Damages The Sandbag

Step 3: Mario SMASHES The Sandbag

Step 4: The Sandbag Flies Across The Stadium

Step 5: Mario Landed A Record Setting 302.4 Foot Distance

Here's the added Shield Wall To Stop The Sandbag From Falling

A Little 2-Player Mayhem Is Sure To Spice Things Up

You Can Even Compete Against A Second Player Instead Of With Them

Online Play Is Available In Both Competitive and Cooperative Modes

... and that's it for Part 2 of this 3 Part Preview. Due to the sheer volume of content in the game, I've decided to piece it into three separate journals. Keep checking back for the next round of updates and as always, I encourage everyone to share their thoughts.

Part 3 will be capping off this preview but there's sure to be some interesting tidbits and I'll be posting a special video that you may not have seen yet.

Until Next Time, Players!

::Presses Pause::

Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Preview Part 1

PART 1 of 3

US: March 9, 2008
Europe: TBA 2008
Japan: Out Now

When I was growing up, Street Fighter (and eventually Mortal Kombat) was the King of Arcade Fighting games. I can't even begin to count how many quarters I managed to spend at my local arcade just to smash buttons with my buddies and our favorite fighters. As the games became more technical however, I began to realize that you had to either be Asian or completely A.D.D. to become the best of the best in your town... And that's about when I gave up fighting games altogether.

Fast forward to Super Smash Brothers Melee's release though (I never had the pleasure of playing the first SSB) and my addiction to virtual brawling had been renewed. Nintendo's always had this magical way of taking any type of gaming genre and flipping it on it's head; Super Mario Kart anyone? So it wasn't exactly hard to figure out why SSB:Melee was such a best seller.

Now that we're excruciatingly close to recieving our third dose of this maniacal fighting game, I decided there was no way I would pass up the chance to spread the word about what is sure to be one of, if not "the", best brawlers to hit in 2008.

Let's start off with our list of playable Brawlers though:

Newcomers:
(All names are linked to their image)

Diddy Kong
Ike
King Dedede
Lucas
Meta Knight
Captain Olimar and his Pikmin
Pit aka Kid Icarus
Pokemon Trainer and Pokemon
Snake (w/ His Trusty Cardboard Box)
Sonic The Hedgehog
Wario
Zero Suit Samus

Old Schoolers:
(All names are linked to their image)

Mario
Peach
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Fox
Ice Climbers
Kirby
Link
Pikachu
Samus
Shiek
Yoshi
Princess Zelda

.....

There's been some surprising additions this time around especially with the Sony-based Snake from the long running Metal Gear series. Sonic The Hedgehog has provided quite a shock too given his super-speedy nature, as most people are wondering how hard it will be to actually keep him on the stage. On the flip-side, seeing some of the fan favorites such as Shiek, Samus (and now her newly un-suited version), Link, Fox, and Pikachu is a welcome sight. Although I'm a little saddened about the departure of my personal favorites Gannondorf and Captain Falcon I'm staying hopeful that they'll make an appearance as unlockable characters. So now that you know who you'll be playing with, let's dig into what modes of play are available for you beat the pixels out your friends in.

Game Modes

As with any game, you'll start off at the infamous Start Menu before the mayhem can begin. As you can see from the screenshot, you'll be able to pick from Group Play (aka Multiplayer), Solo, your standard configuration and data management options, Vault - which is your Trophy Case from Melee but with sooooooo much more to do, and while I can't find any direct information yet about the online component of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, I can only assume the Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection button is what ties into that functionality.

Special Brawl

Just like the name implies, Special Brawl allows you to set-up your battle for some of the wildest fights you've ever seen. Want to start off with the Bunny Ears, a Fast Game Speed, Fire-Hot Breathe (see: Curry), a Metal Body, and Mini-sized? You got it! Back in the Melee days all you could really do was Mega Battles, Lighting Fast Speed, Invisible Fights and the like, but with Brawl you get to mix and match till your heart's content. This all equates to replayability on a large scale when the basic battles become too much of a bore.

... and that's it for Part 1 of this 3 Part Preview. Due to the sheer volume of content in the game, I've decided to piece it into three seperate journals, but don't fret, they'll be posted in succession from now until Friday! Keep checking back for the next round of updates and as always, I encourage everyone to share their thoughts. I'm especially interested in knowing what characters you think should have made it into Brawl and perhaps what ones shouldn't have been cut.

Until Next Time, Players!

::Presses Pause::

Halloween 8: The Shape With A Heart

It's been 29 years and 7 murderous sprees (Halloween 3 does NOT count) since "The Shape" started out his not-so-humble beginnings in Haddonfield Illinois. Ever since he got our blood pumping from watching his sibling rivalry unfold with Laurie Strode, Michael Myers has put fear and loathing in our hearts. It may have been awhile since we've heard or seen anything from this deranged psychopath but new video has just recently surfaced that shows what he's been up to... and the results are more creepy than that time he and Laurie came face to face with nothing but a window between them.

He's been spotted traipsing around the Buzznet Office trying to work a 9 to 5 job. Of course, we course the real shock to viewers will be his infatuation with the infamous Bree. Will their love be a match made in marketing heaven or will his jealousy and thirst for bloody mayhem leave him with a broken heart this time around?

You'll have to watch it to find out!

The Black Parade Review Contest Entry

â�œNow come one come all to this tragic affair. Wipe off that makeup, what's in is despair!â�

Since the creation of organized music every generation of humans have been drawn to one musician, or band because they seem to speak to us directly. These are the musicians that we can identify with, they know how to trigger our emotions from bringing us happiness or putting us into touch with our darker side. My Chemical Romance has become our generation's iconic heroes, and, The Black Parade is another exceptionally amazing example of why they hold such a place in our hearts.

(Should be exactly 100 words, WITH the quote included)

Jared Leto and 30STM

Next to Bob Bryar and MCR, Jared Leto and 30 STM is the hottest thing in rock music right now.

[Breathe Me]

Be my friend

Hold me, wrap me up

Unfold me

I am small

I'm needy

Warm me up

And [breathe me]